Not very often I come across an early signed and dated theorem painting on velvet, and even less often with information about its maker noted by a family member on reverse--so I was quite delighted to find this one, in a period frame to boot. It was done by an Isabella Caroline Thompson, 1829, whose family I've found, with the help of knowing that her son's name was George Thomas Reid (b. 1849, Pickens County, SC) and her granddaughter Victoria Reid Fowler. (I can find no definitive record for Isabella herself.) I've got a lot of love for 19th c. floral watercolors, and there is something about the velvet that lends a different sort of depth and gravitas and a sort of moodiness, too. Made by overlaying stencils to create the overall design, theorem painting began in England at the turn of the 18th century and was taught in America to women in academies and boarding schools throughout colonial New England, later spreading to many other areas.
Framed, as found: 16 3/4" x 14 7/8". Sight: 13 1/16" x 11 3/8". One area of darkening at the center of the painting, as documented and scattered spotting/toning--consistent with it being almost 200 years old. There are scratches to the surface of the frame, also as documented, which I have not tried to touch up at all.
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